Portable stand for supporting and carrying stretchers.



No. 78,875. Patented Nov. l8. I902.

H. C. HALL.

PORTABLE STAND FOR SUPPORTING AND CARRYING STRETCHERS.

(Application filed May-14, 1901. Renewed Apr. 24, 1902.)

(N 0 Made) 3111mm to:

liln'irnn Frames ATENT @FFICE.

HARRY O. HALL, OF TELLURIDE, COLORADO.

PORTABLE STAND FOR SUPPORTING AND CARRYING STRETCHERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 713,875, dated November 18, 1902.

Application filed May 14, 1901. Renewed April 24, 1902. Serial No. 104,501. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY O. HALL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Telluride, in the county of San Miguel and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Portable Stands for Supporting and Carrying Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in portable stands for supporting and carrying stretchers, the object being to provide a stand of the character specified which is capable of being folded into small compass when not in use or for the purpose of transportation and one which will support and carry one or more removable stretchers when erected in its normal position.

\Vith the foregoing object in View my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts,which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved stand, and Figs. 2 and 3 are details.

A A represent a pair of arched or inverted- U -shaped standards, preferably made of tn bing, of suitable height and width-say in the neighborhood of thirty inches in each of these dimensionsthe four ends constituting feet upon which these standards rest, and each of these feet is preferably provided with a rubber tip 1 for obvious reasons, as to prevent noise, slipping or marring of floors, and for further elasticity. A frame B, also preferably of tubing and composed of longitudinal members 2 2 and cross members 3 3, is connected with the top horizontal portion of the standards A A, substantially as shown in Fig. 1, by the double-sleeved couplings (the sleeves of which are cast at right angles to each other) or similar means i 4, so as to have fixed connection with the tubes 2 2 and pivotal or revolving connection with top horizontal portion of standards A A. Thumb-screws 5 5 one in each of these couplingsare provided as a convenient means for securing the parts rigidly together, and at the same time to allow the parts to fold together by releasing the screws when occasion may require it.

Side stays 6 6 are connected to the standards by pivot-bolts 7 7 and the ends of these side stays are in the form of 8 8, by which the stand may be carried from place to place, raised or lowered, or what not.

End stays 9 9 are connected with the crosspieces 3 3 and capable of being swung inwardly parallel with side bars 2 2 when not in use, and when in use they depend, as shown in Fig. 1, from the frame in a vertical position, and their purpose will be explained hereinafter. T- shaped coupling 10 is preferably connected to one of these end stays with cross-piece 3, and this coupling is provided with slots 10, through which a pin 10", secured to the cross-piece, extends. The position and function of this pin is to stop the end stay at perpendicular to prevent the other, as well as the opposite end stay, together with whatever they may support, from swinging forward.

One or more stretchers, preferably two, as designated by the numerals 11 and 12, are suspended upon the stand or frame, as the case may be, by means of flexible and elastic hangers 13 13, two of which extend down ward from each end of the stand or frame, as shown in Fig. 1. These hangers may be permanently or detachably connected to the ends of the lower stretcher, and they are preferably detachably connected with the stand or frame at their upper ends by means of the hooks 14c 14:. The upper stretcher 11 is detachably connected to the hangers by means of a turn-button 15, adapted when in one position to pass through one of the links of the hangers when the latter are made of chains, or slots therein if made of closed strap, for instance. These hangers incline outwardly from the frame, as shown in Fig. 1, so that they measurably eliminate lateral and endwise vibration of the stretchers, but more especially cause stretchers to maintain their level position, at the same time, by virtue of their elasticity, operating to absorb and prevent sudden jars and shocks to the occupants of the stretcher or stretchers, which would otherwise be incident to the movement of the stand.

Lateral connections 16 16, similar to the hangers, they being both flexible and elastic, extend from the lower ends of the end stays in both directions to the sides of the lower stretcher,their object being twof0ld-namely,

ICO

to prevent lateral vibration and upward jolting of the stretcher-and to insure against the latter the end stays are purposely extended some distance below the lowermost stretcher, as shown in Fig. 1. From the foregoing it will be seen that one or more stretchers can be easily and quickly suspended from the stand and the latter can be easily raised, lowered, carried, or, for that matter, left standing upon the floor or ground wherever it is convenient. It will also be seen that provision is made for the greatest possible comfort of the occupant of the stretcher or stretchers.

In addition to the parts described means for supporting a canopy-frame, a gun or guns, and an emergency-box might be provided.

To knock down the stand and fold it into small compass when not in use or during transportation, the stretchers are unfastened from the end stays and the latter are folded up over the frame. The thumb-screws 5 5 are unscrewed and the couplings 4 4, which connect the standards with the frame, rotate upon the former, the standards swinging on the pivot 7 and the side stays 6 6 being brought up alongside of the frame. In this way the entire stand, together with stretchers thereto attached, is folded into a substantially flat structure, so that it will occupy the smallest possible space, or may be nested with others in a small compass. In this way the stand may be stored or carried in the least possible space where the latter is an object, as in express-car, ambulance, or other vehicle, in a hospital, infirmary, or other building, or when carried about on the battlefield, in the streets, on shipboard, or wherever it may be brought into requisition.

It is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and arrangement of the several parts described without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the exact construction herein set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A portable knockdown stand for supporting and carrying stretchers consisting of a frame, standards having pivotal or rotary connection therewith, means for locking the standards to the frame, and side stays pivotally connected with the standards.

2. A portable knockdown stand for supporting and carrying stretchers consisting of a frame, standards having pivotal or rotary connection therewith, means for locking the standards to the frame, side stays pivotally connected with the standards, end stays depending from the frame, flexible hangers, stretchers supported by said hangers, and lateral connections extending from the lower ends of the end stays upwardly and outwardly to the lower stretcher for preventing lateral endwise and upward jolting of the stretchers.

3. The combination of a pair of standards, a frame comprising side and end members and side stays pivotally connected with the standards, of couplings comprising double sleeves at right-angles to each other, one sleeve of each coupling having fixed connection with the side of the frame and the standards pivoted in the other sleeve of each coupling, and thumb-screws for locking the couplings on the frame.

4. The combination with standards and frame having pivotal connection with each other, of side stays pivotally connected with the standards and side stays pivotally connected with the frame whereby all of said parts may be folded compactly together.

5. The combination withaframeandstandards having pivotal connection, and means for locking the frame and standards together, of side stays pivotally connected with the standards.

6. The combination with a frame,standards having pivotal connections therewith, and means for locking the frame and standards together, of side stays pivotally connected with the standards, and having handles on their ends.

7. The combination with a frame,standards having pivotal connections therewith, and means for locking the frame and standards together, of side stays pivotally connected with the standards, and end stays pivotally connected with the frame.

8. The combination with a frame,standards having pivotal connections therewith, and means for locking the frame and standards together, of side stays pivotally connected with the standards, and end stays pivotally connected with the frame, stretchers, flexible elastic hangers connected with the frame, or standards, to which the stretchers are connected, and flexible elastic connections extending from the lower ends of the end stays, to one of the stretchers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HARRY O. HALL.

Witnesses:

L. O. KINIKIN, J. K. MCCOY. 

